State Attorney Ashton: 'Brazen' Osceola Co. shootings caught his attention

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A shooting rampage with a .45-caliber rifle left nearly a dozen Osceola County locations riddled with bullets, 17-year-old David Guerrero dead on his way to work, and 22-year-old Eric Roopnarine dead during a home invasion robbery.

State Attorney Jeff Ashton has promised to personally prosecute the case himself.

Friends and family held a candlelight vigil outside the home where Roopnarine was killed.

They said they still can't believe four youths were allegedly behind it all.

"You just think about these kids taking lives, young innocent lives," Shaline Ramos, the victim's aunt said. "It's tragic. Eric was this lovable human being."

Investigators said 15-year-old Konrad Schafer took the gun from his father .

"This caught my attention because of a number of different factors," Ashton said. "The biggest thing is the fact that it's a 15-year-old … I can't remember a case where you had this many crimes, of this long a period of time, that are alleged to be so brazen."

Konrad told detectives Roopnarine pleaded for his life, but David Damus shot him, then stabbed him.

His family said they are shattered.

"It's terrible, it's awful. You just destroyed so many families in the process," said Roopnarine's uncle, Vishnu Visram.

The victim's family said they're glad to see Ashton is taking on the case himself.

All they want out of the ordeal, they said, is justice.

WFTV